


Burning Roses

by mangsin



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluffy, I Don't Even Know, I'm Bad At Tagging, Multi, Polyamory, Soft Boys, Some Plot, Symbolism, Weird, i think, sort-of-university, the university isn't really important
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:34:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22762522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangsin/pseuds/mangsin
Summary: They’ve all left at some point or another, but they always come back.Sehyoon welcomes them again, with a soft smile and open arms, and they fall back into him, deeper and deeper until they know nothing but his warmth.
Relationships: Kang Yuchan | Chan/Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow/Lee Donghun/Park Junhee | Jun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from. I think I came home from an early morning class with a general vibe for - well, something - and wrote a couple sentences before getting in the shower.
> 
> And then, you know, it just kind of snowballed. I wrote some more and boom. A mostly plotless story featuring soft boys in love and strange happenings. Enjoy!

Donghun remembers Junhee timidly reaching for his hand. They stood in front of the door, hesitating. Why did they feel drawn here? Should they knock?

They ended up not having to. Footsteps sounded from inside, and the door swung open.

A boy, close to their age. Behind a shroud of blond, the boy's dark eyes crinkled in the corners as the candy pink of his lips stretched into a lopsided smile. Something in them started to warm at the sight of it.

“I thought you’d never come,” the boy said, quiet laughter tinging his voice.

He stepped aside, welcoming them in, and this time they didn’t hesitate.

• • •

Byeongkwan remembers the first time he breathed.

He woke up on top of a building, disoriented and scared. His lungs didn’t seem to fill enough, left him gasping and gasping as he stumbled down the stairwell.

The people around him paid no mind, slipping out of his grasp as he tried to ask for help. _Where am I, what’s going on, why can’t I breathe_?

Eventually, someone caught _his_ arm instead. Light brown hair and brown eyes, studs twinkling on an eyebrow. Byeongkwan clung to his savior as the other practically dragged him down the sidewalk, headed for a destination Byeongkwan wasn’t sure of. He didn’t have it in him to care, the dizziness forcing him to focus completely on keeping his feet under him.

A loud bang startled Byeongkwan out of his stupor, a door swinging open from his savior's kick.

“Junhee!” his savior shouted. “Where’s-"

“Right here,” another voice came.

The voice washed over him, soothing and so, so gentle, and Byeongkwan nearly sobbed. He blindly reached out for it, wordlessly whining out pleas, and the voice laughed beautifully.

Warmth enveloped him and he was pulled down, laying on top of the gentle person with his face buried in the soft curve of the other’s neck. His savior whispered something Byeongkwan couldn’t hear, and the gentle one nodded, threading his fingers in Byeongkwan’s hair. He twined their fingers and tangled their legs, murmured quiet comforts as Byeongkwan trembled.

His lungs filled to the brim with wonderful, wonderful air. Byeongkwan could breathe, he could finally _breathe_.

• • •

Everything felt too hot when Yuchan woke.

Any and all attempts to blink the sweat out of his eyes were met with more and more of it, seeping through his clothes and making his hair stick to his forehead. He wandered around in the sleeveless tee and shorts he'd woken up in, stomach turning at the thought of wearing warmer clothes like the people he passed did.

He walked around aimlessly for what seemed like hours, and came to a halt in front of a busy building.

People milled in and out of the many sets of doors, carrying bags and backpacks and folders. A campus, Yuchan realized. Maybe a university?

A pinky linked with his, an elbow brushed against his arm. Turning, he found a dark-haired man giving him a wide smile.

“You came!” the man said happily. Yuchan wasn’t sure what he meant; he didn’t recognize whoever this was. “He said you would. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

Yuchan followed the man through the crowds, and surprisingly enough, their linked pinkies didn’t give off the same agonizing heat that everything else seemed to. The air around them grew quieter as the man pulled Yuchan down a hall, not even stopping at the door and just breezing in.

“We’re back!” the man called out, dropping Yuchan’s pinky and bounding over to a couch.

Whoever was on the couch laughed fondly as the man settled in, leaving Yuchan standing awkwardly by the door. A fluffy gray head poked out of a room down the hall, peering at Yuchan.

“Junhee-hyung, who did you bring?” he asked, curiously plodding out of the room in an oversized sweater.

The man’s - Junhee’s - head popped up over the back of the couch.

“What’s your name?” Junhee asked sheepishly.

Yuchan blinked at the exaggerated groan Sweater Boy gave. “Um. Yuchan?”

“You should be grateful I’m not Donghun,” Sweater Boy grumbled. “How many times have we told you to stop kidnapping strangers, hyung?”

Junhee pouted. “Donghun didn’t ask _your_ name when he brought you here.”

Waving him off, Sweater Boy moved to the kitchen, poured a glass of water and held it out to Yuchan.

Yuchan accepted it, slightly bewildered, and was about to take a sip when a hand touched his forehead.

He gasped, nearly dropping the glass. The hand pushed his hair from his eyes, cooled the burning of his skin.

A kind smile greeted him when he hazily blinked at whoever it was.

“Hi.” Wow. The person’s voice was as sweet as their smile. “It’s good to see you. How are you feeling?”

Yuchan’s vision went black.


	2. Chapter 2

“Are we alive?”

Sehyoon’s hands paused mid-stroke, fingers tangled in Donghun’s hair. Lifting his head from where it rested against the headboard, he looked down at Donghun, mild surprise on his otherwise serene face.

Donghun stared back from the younger’s lap, where his head was nestled. The petting eventually resumed, soft and gentle.

“That’s a strange question for one in the afternoon, hyung,” Sehyoon said carefully. “Is it because…?”

Worrying at his lip, Donghun shook his head, and Sehyoon’s features relaxed slightly.

They did this every now and then. Donghun would wake up unable to move his limbs, and Sehyoon would shoo everyone off to classes before settling into bed and pulling the older close. Sometimes they’d lay there in silence, sometimes Sehyoon would hum a quiet melody. Sometimes Sehyoon would tell outlandish stories until they were both aching from laughter. The result was always the same – Donghun would get up to open the door for a relieved-looking Byeongkwan, who always came home first, and he’d feel pleasantly weightless for the rest of the day.

Donghun shook himself out of his thoughts. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

Throwing his head back with a bright laugh, Sehyoon gave Donghun’s hair a playful tug. “You wouldn’t have heard me if I had,” he teased.

“Shut up and answer my question,” Donghun grumbled. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t keep his own smile off of his face.

Sehyoon’s smile faded a little bit. “What do you think?”

The clock on the wall didn’t work, is what Donghun thought. The classes they took felt pointless. No one on campus knew who Sehyoon was, and the student body all seemed fake, somehow. Empty, like they were background characters in a video game.

“I don’t know,” is what Donghun ended up saying. “I feel alive, but sometimes I can’t tell.”

Sehyoon was quiet for a moment. “I couldn’t tell you,” he murmured. “I’m sorry, hyung.”

Reaching up, Donghun linked his pinky with Sehyoon’s. “That’s okay.”

The relieved look on Sehyoon's face was worth not getting an answer.


	3. Chapter 3

Junhee and Sehyoon always showered together. Or bathed; whatever they felt like that day. The first time Junhee had gone to take a shower in the unfamiliar apartment, Sehyoon had stepped in before even a minute had passed. It had felt oddly comfortable – not what Junhee had expected it to feel like, anyway, taking a shower with a stranger. Even if the stranger felt more like home than Junhee’s own skin.

“What’s on your mind?” Sehyoon asked softly.

Today was a bath day, and Sehyoon’s fingers massaging Junhee’s scalp felt heavenly. Junhee let out a contented sigh, muscles relaxing and eyes slipping shut.

“Not much,” he said, a touch of laughter in his voice. “I don’t know if I _can_ think, right now.”

Sehyoon’s laugh was one of Junhee’s favorite sounds. It was so sweet and cute.

“Rinsing,” Sehyoon warned. A moment later, warm water drenched Junhee’s hair, washing the shampoo suds out. Junhee enjoyed it as Sehyoon repeated the process a few more times.

Junhee cracked one eye open when Sehyoon made a dissatisfied noise. “What’s wrong, hyung?”

Humming, Sehyoon looked through the collection of bottles on the floor. “We’re out of conditioner,” he muttered.

“That’s it?” Junhee grinned. Sehyoon was so cute. “Hyung, there’s some more in the hall closet,” he said brightly.

Sehyoon bit his lip and gave Junhee a worried look. “Will you be okay while I go get it?”

The smile on Junhee’s face faltered, brow furrowing. “Um… why wouldn’t I be?”

“…Right. Of course.” Sehyoon returned Junhee's smile, and Junhee inwardly frowned at how strained it looked. “I’ll be right back.”

Despite his confusion at Sehyoon’s question, Junhee’s heart started beating faster as soon as the older stepped out of the bathroom. He tried to ignore it, making little waves in the bath water to distract himself, but the crawling under his skin just got worse.

His breaths started coming quicker and his hands started shaking.

“Sehyoon,” Junhee whimpered. He couldn’t breathe deep enough to shout, his chest felt too heavy and his eyes stung and he couldn’t lift himself out of the water and- “Se… Sehyoon!”

Footsteps pounded down the hall and Sehyoon appeared in the doorway, eyes wide and terrified.

“Junnie?!” he said, rushing to the bathtub. The bottle of conditioner was dropped in favor of holding Junhee, who flung himself into Sehyoon’s arms the moment the older was within reach.

Sehyoon hugged Junhee tightly, on his knees and completely disregarding the fact that his clothes were getting soaked. Shaking and gasping, Junhee clung to Sehyoon with everything he had. _Don’t let go, don’t let go, don’t let go…_

“Junnie.” Sehyoon’s voice was calmer this time. He smoothed Junhee’s hair down and pressed a kiss to the top of the younger’s head. “Do you want to get out of the bath?”

Burrowing his face deeper into Sehyoon’s stomach – deeper into the solid warmth and protection of the elder’s embrace – Junhee could only manage to nod.

“Alright. C’mere, let’s get you dried off and into some clothes, yeah?”

Sehyoon continued to speak softly while Junhee climbed out of the tub, guiding him with gentle touches. He dressed Junhee (and himself), then dragged the trembling younger man into cuddling on the bed. Junhee went without complaint, hooking his leg over Sehyoon’s hip to lessen the distance between them.

“Do you know what happened?” Sehyoon asked quietly. When Junhee answered with a shake of his head, Sehyoon just squeezed a bit tighter. “That’s okay, baby. Do you want to talk about it?”

Wetting his lips, Junhee tilted his head back to meet Sehyoon’s concerned eyes.

“Can we just…” He swallowed. “Can we just lay here for a little while?”

Sehyoon nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

They were still wrapped around each other when Byeongkwan came home and pouted at being left out of snuggles.


	4. Chapter 4

Knees wobbling, Byeongkwan cursed and slowly lowered himself onto the concrete rooftop – first into a crouch, then onto his back.

Coming up here was a terrible idea.

Ribbons of pink and purple and orange streaked across the sky, reaching out as if to touch the sun one last time before it left for the night. Only a few clouds dotted the beautiful canvas, little cotton balls that glowed in the sunset, and a light breeze ruffled Byeongkwan’s hair.

Down below, the hum of evening traffic thrummed in time with Byeongkwan’s heartbeat. The city never had known when to sleep. Byeongkwan supposed he belonged here, in the buzz and excitement and restlessness. No doubt, when he went back to the dorms, Donghun would be waiting with a lecture on his lips and a worried set in his brow.

_How many times have I told you to stop going alone? Honestly, Byeongkwan. You need to slow down sometimes._

Byeongkwan let out a heavy sigh, gazing up at the sky with one arm spread out and the other hand on his chest. His pulse began to slow somewhat at the thought of Donghun’s grounding voice, and he closed his eyes.

The wind tugged playfully at Byeongkwan’s clothing, swept across his skin with soothing fingers. It whispered something in his ear and a smile graced Byeongkwan’s lips.

He hummed the melody, the breeze dancing to the rhythm around him.

“I didn’t think you knew that song.”

Eyes snapping open, Byeongkwan lurched upwards and immediately felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He shook it off the best he could – some of the nausea settled in the pit of his stomach, and he didn’t think it’d be leaving anytime soon – and turned to face the owner of the voice.

“I didn’t think _you_ ever left the dorm?”

Sehyoon grinned at the questioning lilt in Byeongkwan’s comeback. “I make exceptions,” he said, walking over.

Byeongkwan couldn’t help but grin back as Sehyoon came to a stop next to him.

“The wind told me the melody,” he admitted. “I don’t remember the words.”

Something crossed Sehyoon’s face, too quick to name. He silently offered Byeongkwan a hand.

Brow furrowing, Byeongkwan took Sehyoon’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. Sehyoon didn’t stop there, dragging Byeongkwan closer, until their noses brushed.

The air felt thick, impossible to breathe. Byeongkwan found himself trapped, transfixed by the dark, heavy something hidden deep in Sehyoon’s eyes, and by the arm that wound itself around his waist.

Sehyoon closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Byeongkwan’s. It took a moment, but Byeongkwan realized what Sehyoon was doing.

The melody sounded ethereal in Sehyoon’s soft, low timbre, floating around them. Everything else seemed to fade into the background, the sounds of the city now far away.

Quietly, Byeongkwan joined in. A shudder ran through Sehyoon’s body, and he tightened his hold, pressing his face into Byeongkwan’s hair.

Byeongkwan ran his hands up and down Sehyoon’s back – traced the elder’s spine, ribs, shoulder blades – and began swaying from side to side. Now the only one humming, he held Sehyoon close as he led in a dance only the two of them existed in.

“I missed this.”

The whisper slipped out of Sehyoon’s mouth seemingly unbidden. Byeongkwan blinked, his voice faltered and the rhythm with it. When had they done this before? He’d only just started coming up to the rooftop a week ago.

Sehyoon stiffened and pulled away.

“Donghun’s worried about you. We should get back,” he murmured, avoiding Byeongkwan’s eyes.

And just like that, the spell broke. The city noise rushed forward once again, Sehyoon moved towards the stairwell door.

Byeongkwan grabbed Sehyoon’s wrist. “Wait-”

“Kwannie.” Sehyoon’s voice was thick with… something. Sadness? Desperation? ...Grief? “Please.”

A moment passed between them – Byeongkwan staring at Sehyoon’s back, searching for answers he knew he’d never receive – and he let his hand slip down to hold Sehyoon’s.

“Okay,” he said quietly.

The tension bled out of Sehyoon’s shoulders, and he turned to give Byeongkwan a shaky smile. Interlacing their fingers and squeezing, Sehyoon led Byeongkwan down the stairs.

On the way home, Sehyoon plastered himself to Byeongkwan’s side as if to hide from the people they passed. Byeongkwan didn’t say anything – just held him closer while people stared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late! This chapter was supposed to be a cute, fluffy "dancing and laughing on a rooftop at night" sort of thing, but it was really fighting me until I just let it go the way it wanted to. Which was... not what I expected.
> 
> Once again, if anyone has any theories about what's going on, please feel free to share! I have no clue, so we can brainstorm together. The next chapter I already have written, and it has me scratching my head.
> 
> I listened to a playlist while writing this. It's only 25 songs, and I was wondering if anyone wanted it? I think it gives some insight into the story, but I'm not sure how?? Anyway, I don't want to put it up if no one's going to look at it, so just tell me if you do.
> 
> Also!! If anyone has any questions, just ask. I'll answer the best I can without spoiling anything.


	5. Chapter 5

Yuchan was the only one who’d seen.

He got out of bed frequently at night, throat never seeming to stop itching with thirst. He kept a water bottle next to his bed, but it emptied quickly, and he couldn’t always crawl into Sehyoon’s bed and let the older chase away the heat under his skin.

That night had been one such night. Yuchan had gotten up, water bottle in hand, and dragged himself to the kitchen. Specifically, the kitchen sink. His plans were quickly derailed.

He heard it before he saw it. Yuchan furrowed his brow at the gagging sounds coming around the corner, concern growing in his chest. Sometimes Junhee would be at the toilet for hours, trying to hack up something that never came, but never the kitchen sink.

When Yuchan rounded the corner, the concern melted into something else he couldn’t name. He froze, one hand on the wall, and stared at the form hunched over the kitchen sink.

The shadows in the room clung to the figure as it choked, disembodied whispers floating through the air. Yuchan’s legs trembled, and he dazedly wondered if they’d give out.

Yuchan watched the figure’s every movement with wide eyes. It shuddered, lifted its hands to its mouth, reached inside and _pulled_.

Something came out, long and thin and spiked. _Brambles_ , Yuchan realized belatedly. They just kept coming and coming, piling in the sink as the figure released ragged gasps. The figure yanked the last of the brambles out of its mouth and let it fall into the sink, other hand searching the counter.

A _snick_ echoed in the quiet, fire flaring from the match in the figure’s hand. The figure dropped the match, igniting the brambles and illuminating his face.

The light from the fire flickered across Sehyoon’s face and shone off of the blood coating his chin. Tear tracks glimmered on his cheeks as the vines writhed and shrieked.

Once the last of the brambles had turned to ash – Yuchan didn’t know how long it took – Sehyoon let out a shaky breath and turned on the tap. He washed his hands and face and cut off the water, leaning against the counter with his head hung low. Yuchan could’ve sworn he saw something ripple under the elder’s skin, strain at the confines of his body.

Sehyoon slowly lowered himself into a crouch, forehead resting against the cabinet doors, and sobbed. His cries were small at first, muffled by a hand. But they grew, until his entire body was convulsing with them. The darkness swelled and crept closer.

Whatever spell had been holding Yuchan still broke, and one thing became clear in his mind: the dark was a danger, to Sehyoon and to the rest of them.

Yuchan darted forward without thinking, dropping to his knees next to Sehyoon’s hunched form. He ignored the shadows as they hissed and shrank away, and rested a hand on Sehyoon’s back.

“Yoonie-hyung?” he whispered.

The muscles under Yuchan’s hand coiled and Sehyoon’s head snapped up. A snarl tore from the back of Sehyoon’s throat, a horrible thing that held more than one voice. Yuchan recoiled at the darkness in the elder’s face.

But his resolve only solidified. Tentatively, cautiously, Yuchan pulled Sehyoon close. Sehyoon didn’t react, eyes unseeing and limbs pliant despite their tension.

“It’s just me, hyung,” Yuchan quietly tried again. “Just Channie.”

A moment of silence passed. Yuchan shivered at the cold fingers that curled into the back of his shirt.

“Channie?” Sehyoon’s shaky voice came.

Yuchan smoothed down the elder’s hair, like he’d seen Sehyoon to so many times to the others. “Yeah, Yoonie-hyung. It’s Channie. I’m here.”

They sat there for who knows how long, clinging to each other and shaking, before Yuchan finally coaxed Sehyoon to his feet. He left the exhausted older man in the arms of a sleepy Junhee and Donghun as he went to get Byeongkwan from the other room.

That night, they all fell back asleep in a tangle of limbs. Just before Yuchan’s drooping eyelids fell completely shut, he felt a warm pair of lips brush against his forehead.

“Thank you,” they murmured.

Yuchan smiled sleepily and dropped off, one hand twined with Sehyoon’s.

**Author's Note:**

> Still have no clue what's going on in this story, so feel free to give any theories you might get. I have a few, but I'm not really sure about any of them.


End file.
